Yale Stuns Youngstownโข State in FCS Playoff Upset, Illinois State to Face NDSU
YOUNGSTOWN, โขohio – Inโ a stunning first-round upset of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs on November 25, 2023, Yale rallied from a massive halftime deficit toโ defeat Youngstown state 43-42.The Bulldogs’ comeback, fueled byโค 21 fourth-quarter points, marks the largest โฃhalftime โขreversal for the program since 1941 and the firstโ time an FCS team has overcome a 28+ point halftime โdisadvantage since Cornell’sโฃ 29-28 victory โขover Harvard in 2000.
The dramatic โฃvictory propels Yale into the secondโ round of the FCS playoffs, while Youngstown State’s season concludes. This outcome underscores the unpredictableโข natureโค of the FCS postseason, where established programs can be challenged by determined opponents. Elsewhere in the playoff bracket, Illinois State secured โฃaโข second-round matchup against north dakota State, and both South Dakota State and south Dakota delivered dominant performances in their respective first-round contests.
Yale running back Josh Pitsenbergerโค spearheaded the comeback, rushing for 209 yards on 32 carries and โscoring three touchdowns, including the decisive 56-yard run with 2:47 remaining in the game. Noah Piper’s subsequent extra point proved to be the game-winning margin. โฃThe โคBulldogs’ resilience in the face of adversityโค highlights their โฃdetermination and sets โthe stageโ for a โchallenging second-round encounter.